Pull Behind

[racer808]

We bought a 30' travel trailer over the weekend.  It's a 2015, very clean but I wanted to disinfect / clean the white water system as I am not sure what's been done to it or not done to it.  I know I can do the bleach soak for 12 hours but is there a quicker way?  Do they sell something to put in the white water?  I am not coming across anything with the Google.

Black / grey water:  I read to not dump those till they are at least 3/4 full.  This trailer will be sitting in the same spot all summer & I highly doubt we will use up a 1/4 of the tank space on the weekends, maybe every 3 weekends it will be full enough.  So I do I just leave s*** in the tank till it's full enough to dump or should I dump it every weekend before I leave regardless?  I should note, I have no intention of drinking water from the camper, we bring fresh water for drinking.  Any other tips for newb camper owner?  I already upgraded the septic hose from the crappy one that came with it.  I have all the leveling stuff.

 

[MadMan]

The idea behind the at least 3/4 full before dumping is to ensure there is enough fluid available to carry away the solids.  Your tank/drain system might be able to handle completely emptying at lower fill levels.  Mine wasn't, so I would just filler it up with a garden hose, then empty.

[racer808]

5 minutes ago, MadMan said:

The idea behind the at least 3/4 full before dumping is to ensure there is enough fluid available to carry away the solids.  Your tank/drain system might be able to handle completely emptying at lower fill levels.  Mine wasn't, so I would just filler it up with a garden hose, then empty.

Every weekend?

[MadMan]

6 minutes ago, racer808 said:

Every weekend?

Ours didn't stay in the same spot, but yes every weekend it was used.

[90oldskool]

we used these every time we empty the houseboat waste tank. keeps the smell down up to a month. 

https://www.amazon.com/Thetford-15483-Aqua-Kem-Holding-Treatment/dp/B002DZN5W0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1495631096&sr=8-4&keywords=camper+toilet+deodorizer

[RyanB]

We spend the first several weekends at the same lake.  For the last couple of years, I have left the RV either in the campground or in a farmers field so I don't have to pull it home and then back out.  Anyway, I will go two or three weekends without dumping the black tank.  If you use some type of holding tank chemical (and plenty of water), you won't have trouble doing that.

In regards to holding tank chemical, I would recommend finding something that is formaldehyde free.  That will keep the "good bacteria" alive, and helps break down the waste.

[Ronnie]

Portable waste tank.

[malibu2004]

1 minute ago, Ronnie said:

Portable waste tank.

This is what I use every weekend. I empty the black water every weekend and bring it home with me and dump it. If you wait you wont be able to lift the tank into the truck. 

I use distilled vinegar to clean out my fresh water lines. It wont harm you if you drink it. I wouldn't use bleach. 

[racer808]

4 minutes ago, malibu2004 said:

This is what I use every weekend. I empty the black water every weekend and bring it home with me and dump it. If you wait you wont be able to lift the tank into the truck. 

I use distilled vinegar to clean out my fresh water lines. It wont harm you if you drink it. I wouldn't use bleach. 

Ah!  Didn't even think of vinegar!  Whats your method?  I don't want to use bleach but it seems to be the common thing done once a year on all the RV stuff I've been finding.  Do you leave the vinegar over night, how much to how much water?

[RyanB]

Do you have a problem now with your water lines?  Like an odor?  If not, I wouldn't worry about it (especially if you aren't drinking the water.

I have owned my trailer since new (it is a 2002), and I don't think I have ever done anything to cleanse the water lines/tank.  We take drinking water to drink and cook with, the on board water is for washing dishes and people, and brushing teeth.

Doesn't matter if you put vinegar or bleach in, unless you flush it with a LOT of water, you will have residual odor/taste.

[malibu2004]

I used a gallon. I put it on the water holding tank and then fill the holding tank with water. I then turn the water pump on, open the faucets and let it get into the system. I let it sit for 24 hours. I then drain the water holding tank and then fill the tank with fresh water and use the pump again to push the water through the system. It takes awhile but it cleans it.  

Edited May 24, 2017 by malibu2004

[malibu2004]

3 minutes ago, RyanB said:

Do you have a problem now with your water lines?  Like an odor?  If not, I wouldn't worry about it (especially if you aren't drinking the water.

I have owned my trailer since new (it is a 2002), and I don't think I have ever done anything to cleanse the water lines/tank.  We take drinking water to drink and cook with, the on board water is for washing dishes and people, and brushing teeth.

Doesn't matter if you put vinegar or bleach in, unless you flush it with a LOT of water, you will have residual odor/taste.

You do have to flush it to get the vinegar out but I've never had a issue with odor or taste. If you do have a odor or taste issue you didn't do it right. 

[jjackkrash]

The 3/4 rule is for black water, not grey.  You should not have any significant solids in the grey.  For the fresh-and-potable tank, I occasionally pour a bottle of consentrated lemon juice in the fresh water tank when it is low with a few gallons of water.  Then I let it slosh for a bit when traveling down the road, then run the faucets to get some juice in the lines when parked.  Then I fill it up with water, and no need to flush because its just lemon juice.  Vinegar also works, but requires a flush to get rid of the taste.  

[MLBurns]

For the black tanks fill a 5 gal bucket and dump it down the toilet when you are draining the tank. It might take more than one but it does the trick if you don't want to wait for it to get full. Don't forget to put another 5 gal in it with chems after you drain it, that will keep it from stinking. When you haul it , empty the black tank and dump a cup of Pine-Sol with a 10lb bag of ice down toilet. This will clean the tank while going down the road.

Edited May 24, 2017 by MLBurns

[ilovetrains]

On 5/24/2017 at 7:22 AM, racer808 said:

We bought a 30' travel trailer over the weekend.  It's a 2015, very clean but I wanted to disinfect / clean the white water system as I am not sure what's been done to it or not done to it.  I know I can do the bleach soak for 12 hours but is there a quicker way?  Do they sell something to put in the white water?  I am not coming across anything with the Google.

Black / grey water:  I read to not dump those till they are at least 3/4 full.  This trailer will be sitting in the same spot all summer & I highly doubt we will use up a 1/4 of the tank space on the weekends, maybe every 3 weekends it will be full enough.  So I do I just leave s*** in the tank till it's full enough to dump or should I dump it every weekend before I leave regardless?  I should note, I have no intention of drinking water from the camper, we bring fresh water for drinking.  Any other tips for newb camper owner?  I already upgraded the septic hose from the crappy one that came with it.  I have all the leveling stuff.

 

if it is that new - I would be surprised if it did not have a flush line for the black tank.  Mine does, it's a 13.  I cannot recall a single trailer at the RV show that did not have one. 

I bleach our fresh water lines every other year.  1/2 cup in the holding tank with 40 gal of fresh water and flush the whole thing with more.  I am 99% sure I don't need to, but the wife insists.

[racer808]

5 hours ago, ilovetrains said:

if it is that new - I would be surprised if it did not have a flush line for the black tank.  Mine does, it's a 13.  I cannot recall a single trailer at the RV show that did not have one. 

I bleach our fresh water lines every other year.  1/2 cup in the holding tank with 40 gal of fresh water and flush the whole thing with more.  I am 99% sure I don't need to, but the wife insists.

I am not sure what a flush line is?  I have a spout / hose for the black water disposal & grey water disposal?

[ilovetrains]

most newer campers have a flush line that goes to the black tank.  

http://d17qgzvii7d4wm.cloudfront.net/s3/img.rv/33116/i/2068838/o/1_33116_2068838_47886429.jpg;maxwidth=1024;maxheight=1024;mode=crop

You hook up to standard garden hose and it has a nozzle in the black tank that washes it from the inside.  You can add it...but that looks like a pretty stinky job.

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/tornado-permanent-tank-rinser-with-remote-connection/28091&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&scid=scplp28091&sc_intid=28091?utm_campaign=SC_Shopping_High&affiliateid=6313&gclid=CjwKEAjwpJ_JBRC3tYai4Ky09zQSJAC5r7rupGYbYXfePmGQbVZIsKODuX51BLEBrV3IFQBvvlvI3RoCo6Hw_wcB

[Cmb396]

Will it be hooked up to a sewer line?

[racer808]

On 5/26/2017 at 0:49 PM, Cmb396 said:

Will it be hooked up to a sewer line?

No sewer.  

 

[racer808]

Got the camper all set up, all is well in camping world at our lake.  Had no idea I was gonna drop another 3k on generator, other misc crap, septic tote so I don't have to move the camper to empty tanks, 45 gallon barrel & pump to refill fresh water & a ton of other stuff.  Spent sometime crawling around underneath filling any holes I could fine with steel mesh & expanding foam, hopefully no mice get in.  

[malibu2004]

20 minutes ago, racer808 said:

Got the camper all set up, all is well in camping world at our lake.  Had no idea I was gonna drop another 3k on generator, other misc crap, septic tote so I don't have to move the camper to empty tanks, 45 gallon barrel & pump to refill fresh water & a ton of other stuff.  Spent sometime crawling around underneath filling any holes I could fine with steel mesh & expanding foam, hopefully no mice get in.  

Good luck with that silly head. 

You'll love it once you get it dialed in. 

[racer808]

33 minutes ago, malibu2004 said:

Good luck with that silly head. 

You'll love it once you get it dialed in. 

You're breaking my heart.  Thought I would beat the mice between foam & every repellent we could find, dryer sheets, cab fresh, moth balls.  Was going to try lights under the trailer, supposedly that scares them away.  

[minnmarker]

4 minutes ago, racer808 said:

You're breaking my heart.  Thought I would beat the mice between foam & every repellent we could find, dryer sheets, cab fresh, moth balls.  Was going to try lights under the trailer, supposedly that scares them away.  

If you leave it plugged into line current when storing, these actually work:

https://www.amazon.com/Pest-Control-Mice-Targeting-System/dp/B001N8CCQS/

I've used them in a horse trailer, cabin, and heated shop.  Mouse droppings went from gazillions to almost nothing.

Be careful with foam.  You can create water pooling issues and potential corrosion.  Steel wool (or copper wool) makes a good mouse plug and water will drain through it.

[malibu2004]

15 minutes ago, racer808 said:

You're breaking my heart.  Thought I would beat the mice between foam & every repellent we could find, dryer sheets, cab fresh, moth balls.  Was going to try lights under the trailer, supposedly that scares them away.  

That's what we thought also. We used the sticky traps and caught 6 or so one weekend.  

[Cmb396]

2 hours ago, racer808 said:

No sewer.  

 

Sounds like you have everything you need. Never dealt with one of those pooper caddy things. Buddy had one on a dry trip once and he said it was a major pita.

Im sure you've already got deodorizer and solvent to dump in your tank to break down solids. I'd dump every 2-3 weeks unless it gets super hot and starts to smell. 

Im hooked to sewer at our lot, but still only dump it about once every 3 weeks. We keep the Ac on a lot too, so the inside never gets too hot.

Good luck, camping at the river/lake is the best of both worlds imo!?